Three jailed for drugs charges

Three men caught with cocaine and heroin valued at €1.4m in a garda drugs operation have been jailed for three and eight-year terms by Judge Katherine Delahunt for sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Declan Broderick, Carl Carr and Graham Doyle were arrested by gardaí who mounted the surveillance operation at St Joseph's Hospital in Raheny and observed Broderick, who worked as a maintenance man there, hand over the drugs to Carr.

Broderick and Carr were both sentenced to eight years in prison while Judge Delahunt said Doyle was "in a completely different category" and sentenced him to three years. She noted that none of the men were sharing in the profits of the drugs and Carr and Broderick were only paid a small amount for their role

A fourth man, Joseph McClean (aged 63), of Tonlegee Avenue, Coolock was jailed for six years last February for taking possession of the drugs at his home. He told gardaí he was to be paid €500 for his role.

Judge Delahunt told Doyle: "You were used by a friend because you had a mode of transport. However you had an opportunity to put a stop to it or distance yourself from it."

Detective Garda Richard Byrne told Ms Lisa Dempsey BL, prosecuting, that Broderick was observed putting a suitcase into a bin at the rear of the hospital and was then seen pointing to the bin when Carr and Doyle arrived in a van shortly afterwards.

Carr picked up the suitcase and gardaí followed them as they drove to McClean’s house where Carr handed the drugs over to McClean who then threw them into a neighbour’s garden. Gardaí moved in and arrested all four.

Broderick (aged 41) of Edenmore Avenue, Coolock; Carr (aged 28) of Casino Park, Marino; and Doyle (aged 28) of Moyclare Park, Baldoyle, pleaded guilty to possession of 5.5 kilograms of heroin and 4 kilograms of cocaine worth a total of €1.38m at McClean’s home on March 16, 2006.

Det Gda Byrne said Broderick claimed he had been paid €500 and told if anything happened to the suitcase: "I would be killed or my family would be killed." He denied touching the suitcase and said he thought it contained cannabis.

Carr initially denied any knowledge of the suitcase, but when confronted with the surveillance evidence later, admitted he had been paid €400 to pick it up.

He said he was "out of his head" on sleeping pills at the time and didn’t remember going to the hospital.

Det Gda Byrne said Doyle denied any involvement with the drugs and claimed he was just asked for a lift by Carr. He said he was told the suitcase contained "mix" for cutting cocaine.

Mr Conor Devally SC, for Broderick, said he had since lost his job at the hospital and had to move out of his home. He had two previous convictions for minor offences.

Mr Erwin Mill Arden SC described Doyle as the least involved out of the four men. He said he had a good work history and a five-year-old son.

Mr Giollaiosa Ó Lideadha SC, said Carr had a chronic drug problem and had recently attempted suicide by driving a car off a cliff.